Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-07-05
A FOREMOST NORTH CAROLINlAN.
Paul Darlington Cameron and His In.
teresting History.
Especial Correspondence

Especial Correspondence
RALEIGH, N. c., June g.
Few families in this country are so widely
ramified as that Of Cameron. The "Cfan
Cameron" has always been noted in Scotland,
where all the associations of romance have
for hundreds of years surrounded it. Tho
North Carolina family of Cameron had as its
ancestor Sir Even Cameron, Of that ilk, but
its progenitor on American soil was Rev. DR..
John Cameron, of Farintosh, in the high
lands. He came to Virginia in colonial days,
and married niece of Governor Abner Nash
and Gen. Francis Nash, both of whom after
wards became distinguished in the war of the
revolution. During that war DR.. Cameron
was rector Of famous old Blandford church,
near Petersburg, Va. William E. Cameron,
the late governor of Virginia, is his great
grandson. DR.. Cameron's eldest son, Dun
can, born in 1777 moved to North Carolina
and married Miss Rebecca Benneban, the
daughter of q planter who was one of the
largest slave owners in the south. He held
various positions of Importance, and was
president Of the State Bank of North Caro-
lima. He died in Raleigh in 1858. His SEC
ond son, Paul Darlington Cameron, Is
the subject of this sketch. He is the
weathiest man in North Carolina, and,
indeed, one Of the wealthiest in the entire
south. He was born in 1908, in the historic
county Of Orange, at a country seat Of his
fathers He was educated thoroughly,
partly at the University Of North Carolina,
and partly at Trinity college, Hartford,
graduating at the latter in 1899. He studied
law, but never practiced. He had vast es-
tates to manage in North Carolina, Alabama
and Mississippi. He owned no less than / 800
SlavaS His dOmaina h>~
princely, and he managed all his complicated
affairs with justice and prudence and
moderation quite worthy of prince He be-
came thorough farmer as we'll as a man of
finance. He adopted the best methods of
farming, and also advocated the introduction
and general use Of agricultural machinery
He was the founder Of the first agricultural
society organized in North Carolina, and be.
came its first president. He took an extreme
interest in internal Improvements. He was
prime factor in the construction Of thu
North Carolina railway, 224 miles in length.
at that date one Of the most notable
tailway enterprises in the country.
He became its president, and has al
ways been d director. He likewise
became prominent as a director and stock
holder in other railways 1t was said of Mr.
Cameron that his care of his slaves was un-
surpassed in any Of the fifteen slave holding
states, and that his army of bondmen al
ways received such humane treatment that
their devotion was equal TO warm personal
friendship. A family of slaves was in 1857
devised to him by a friend "for emancipa.
ton" He settled them in Liberia, under the
care of the American Colonization society.
providing them with food and house for a
year and giving them 81, 900 in gold for an
OUTFIT. In two years they all returned from
Africa and presented themselves at Mr.,
Cameron's house, asking him to take them
back as slaves. This strange story is vouched
Tor by one OF the best known writers in the
state. The war came and swept away Mr..
Cameron's slaves and caused the loss Of much
other property. But it never ruined him, as
1t did so many others. AT its close he was
one of the very few southern planters whom
emancipation found free from debt. He was
yet almost a millionaire He at once re-
established his fortunes on the new basis. and.
though in his 57th year, gave them all the
care which an ordinary man of 40 could give
Just prior to the war Mr. Cameron made the
university of the state a gift of MANY
thousand dollars in order to connlete GER
tain buildings. In 1875 the university was a
wreck; Its buildings out of repair, its finances
more IMAM depressed. Mr. Cameron again
came forward and gave literally. The hu d
ings We're repaired and the uniyrr- ty re-
established. In 1875 he again gave H.. 20
sums for the completion of the Memorial IT
at the university. He is a capital $.
and writer, and retains his business abil,v at
an age when other men are senile. He is al.
most the last representative of a class of fa-
nous southerners. His possessions lie in an
parts OF the south, and his Investments ap-
proximate S2,OOO,O 600. Mr.. Cameron renIai :
the typical southern planter and his ROSY tace
and bright eyes contrast strangely with his
snowy hair which crowns noble head
F. A. OLDs.